Prime Ministers of India and Spain jointly inaugurate TATA Aircraft Complex
The facility will manufacture C-295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat
The C-295 Aircraft facility in Vadodara reinforces India's position as a
trusted partner in global aerospace manufacturing: PM
Make in India, Make for the World: PM
The C-295 aircraft factory reflects the new work culture of a New India: PM
India's defence manufacturing ecosystem is reaching new heights: PM
The Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez jointly
inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at
TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat today. Both
Prime Ministers also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the
occasion.
Addressing
the gathering, the Indian Prime Minister remarked that it is the Prime Minister
of Spain, Mr Pedro Sanchez’s first visit to India and the partnership between
the two countries is finding a new direction today. Noting the inauguration of
the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft, the Prime Minister
said that it would not only strengthen the relations between the two nations
but also give momentum to the mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Modi
conveyed his best wishes to the entire team of Airbus and TATA on the occasion.
The Prime Minister also paid his tributes to Late Ratan Tata ji.
The
Prime Minister underlined that the factory of C295 aircraft is a reflection of
the new work culture of New India and said that India’s speed from idea to the
execution of any project in the country can be witnessed here. Recalling the
foundation stone laying of the factory in October 2022, the Prime Minister said
that the facility is now ready for production of C295 aircrafts. Emphasising
the focus on eliminating unaccounted delays in the planning and execution of
projects, the Prime Minister recalled the setting up of Bombardier Train Coach
manufacturing facility in Vadodara as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and said
that factory was ready in record time for production. “Metro Coaches made in
this factory are being exported to other nations today”, he added. Modi
expressed confidence that the aircrafts made in today’s inaugurated facility
would also be exported.
Quoting
the famous Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, the Prime Minister remarked that as
we start treading towards the goal, the path towards the goal is created
automatically. Noting that India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem was
scaling new peaks today, Modi said that if concrete steps were not taken 10
years ago then it would have been impossible to reach this destination today.
He added that a decade ago, the priority and identity of defence manufacturing
were about import and none could imagine that defence manufacturing could take
place on such a large scale in India. The Prime Minister remarked that the
Government decided to walk on a new path, set new goals for India, whose
results are evident today.
The
Prime Minister said that India’s transformation of the defence sector
exemplifies how a right plan and partnership can turn possibilities into
prosperity. He underlined that strategic decisions have spurred the growth of a
vibrant defence industry in India over the last decade. “We expanded private
sector participation in defence manufacturing, made public sector units more
efficient, restructured ordnance factories into seven major companies, and
empowered DRDO and HAL”, said Shri Modi. He said establishing defence corridors
in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu infused new energy into the sector. Touching
upon iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) scheme, the Prime Minister said
that it has driven the growth of around 1,000 defence startups in the past five
to six years. He informed that India’s defence exports have increased 30 times
over the past decade, with the country now exporting equipment to over 100
countries.
The
Prime Minister laid emphasis on skilling and job creation and said that
projects like the Airbus-Tata factory will create thousands of jobs. He said
that the factory will support indigenous manufacturing of 18,000 aircraft
parts, providing immense opportunities for MSMEs across India. Noting that
India is one of the biggest suppliers of parts for the world's major aircraft
companies even today, Modi said that the new aircraft factory will give a
big boost to new skills and new industries in India.
The
Prime Minister underlined that he was looking at today's program beyond the
manufacturing of transport aircraft. Highlighting the unprecedented growth and
transformation of India's aviation sector in the last decade, Modi remarked
that India was providing air connectivity to hundreds of small cities in the
country, while simultaneously working to make India a hub of aviation and MRO
domain. He added that this ecosystem will also pave the way for Made in India
civil aircraft in the future. Noting that various Indian airlines have ordered
1200 new aircraft, Shri Modi said that this only meant the newly inaugurated
factory will play a major role from designing to manufacturing civil aircraft
to meet the needs of India and the world in the future.
Noting
that Vadodara City was a stronghold of MSMEs, Modi remarked that the city will
act as a catalyst in these efforts of India. He added that the city also had a
Gatishakti University, which was preparing professionals for different sectors
of India. The Prime Minister also noted that there were many companies related
to many sectors like the pharma sector, Engineering and Heavy Machinery,
Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Power and Energy Equipment in Vadodara. He added
that now this entire region was also going to be a major hub of aviation
manufacturing in India. Shri Modi congratulated the Government of Gujarat and
its Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his entire team for their modern
industrial policies and decisions.
Noting
that Vadodara was also an important cultural city of India, Modi said he was
elated to welcome all the friends from Spain. “The cultural connect between
India and Spain has its own importance”, stated the Prime Minister. He remarked
that Father Carlos Valle had come from Spain and settled in Gujarat and spent
fifty years of his life. He further added that Father Valle had enriched the
culture with his thoughts and writings. Modi stated that he also had the good
fortune of meeting Father Valle and the Government of India honoured him with
Padma Shri for his great contribution.
He
noted that yoga was highly popular in Spain too and Spanish football was also
liked in India. Remarking about the football match between Real Madrid and
Barcelona clubs which took place yesterday, Modi said that Barcelona's great
victory was a topic of discussion in India too and the fervour of the fans of
both the clubs was same in India as it is in Spain. Throwing light on India and
Spain’s multifaceted partnership, the Prime Minister said, “Whether it's food,
films, or football, our strong people-to-people connect has always strengthened
our ties.” Shri Modi expressed happiness that India and Spain have decided to
celebrate 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI.
Concluding
the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that today's event will
inspire many new joint collaboration projects between India and Spain. He
extended an invitation to the Spanish industry and innovators and encouraged
them to come to India and become partners in the country's development journey.
Governor
of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, Union
Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for External Affairs, S
Jaishakar were present among others on the occasion.
Under
the C-295 program, a total of 56 aircrafts are to be delivered out of which 16
are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and remaining 40 are to be
made in India.
Tata
Advanced Systems Ltd is responsible for making these 40 aircrafts in India. This
facility becomes the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for
military aircraft in India. It will involve the full development of a complete
ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery
and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.
Apart
from Tatas, leading defence public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Ltd
and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, as well as private Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
will contribute to this programme. Earlier in October 2022, Prime Minister had
laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara Final Assembly Line (FAL).